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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

When I tell people I make my own barbeque sauce, I get one of two reactions. About 2% of the time, the response is a slight head nod with big eyes and a "Me, too!"

The other 98% of the time I hear, "Are you crazy?!? Why would you do that when you can purchase it in a bottle?"

There are many regions of the US known for vastly different styles of barbecue: Kansas City, Texas, Carolina, Memphis. And I have been in many a great debate as to what region reigns as best barbecue. While I currently reside in and love California, my roots are from Kansas. Because I was raised on this lip-smacking, finger-licking wonderful sauce (please recognize my mom for giving this recipe to me 20 years ago), I have a preference to Kansas City Style Barbeque. (And it seems the target market of the bottled sauces are for Kansas City Style Barbeque.)

It is my intent to convert the 98% who purchase bottled barbecue sauce into homemade barbecue sauce loving people because the flavor is far superior...just in time for your Memorial Weekend grill party!

Here's how:

INGREDIENTS:

36 ounce bottle of ketchup

2 cups water

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 dashes Tapatio Salsa Picante (or other hot sauce of your choice)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon fine grind black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all in large saucepan and simmer on very low heat for 60 minutes.

Keep in refrigerator (I return to the ketchup bottle which has been cleaned and appropriately marked).